Crown of Horns
by Squiddiddly
Summary: After a stunning move by Peach on the moon, Mario and Bowser are both left uneasy by the event in their own separate ways. Bowser deals with it by embracing a identity he feels more at peace with, which looks an awful lot like Peach thanks to the altered Super Crown. Struggling with identity and the ghosts of the past, Crown of Horns focuses on a new beginning for everyone.


"NO!" Peach jerked the flowers away from her. She huffed away as Mario and Bowser's jaws dropped agape, somewhat stunned that she picked neither of them. "Come on, let's go." She told the Bonneters Cappy and Tiara, heading off to the Odyssey. Cappy and Tiara followed her lead.

Mario rested his hand against Bowser's shell, in somewhat of a shocked grief. ''Boy, that was stupid of me... mama mia, what was I thinking?'' he though to himself. Bowser cried, his head hung down to the ground as Mario patted his back somewhat unintentionally. ''I suppose I finally understand that we aren't that different after all...'' Mario continued to think to himself.

Peach glanced around for a way to start the Odyssey. Cappy was trying to help her out. "You gotta release the rotors from the moon surface, it's self propelled..." Cappy tried to helpfully comment.

"I mean, I figured she wouldn't go with me... but you too?" Bowser said between sobs, although they got softer as he cleaned out his throat. He seemed to be used to this kind of rejection at this point. Mario kind of still felt the kind of heartache, it had yet to pass, although he wasn't actually sure it wasn't just heartburn from all the spaghetti he had eaten over the journey. "I mean jeez..."

Bowser pulled out a golden crown with eyes on it. It had a fungus implanted in the center. Mario peeked over. "What is that?" asked Mario.

"It's... something I'm thinking about. Don't concern your plumber brain about it." Bowser replied.

Peach turned her back around to face the two grievers. "Hey, we're going!" she shouted out. The two immediately turned their heads around. Mario shook his head and started running after, with Bowser doing his best to keep pace with him. Mario, being the more skilled jumper and runner, naturally leaped towards the Odyssey, jumping off Bowser to gain some additional height. Grabbing Cappy, he flung it forward, knowing he'd come back as he did across the whole adventure.

"Wahoo!" Mario shouted.

-O-X-O-X-O-

It had been about a week since Mario left the moon. To be frank, he wasn't exactly sure Bowser had actually made it off. Cappy returned to the Cap Kingdom with Tiara and he had a new hat. Luigi, his brother, was assembling something new from E. Gadd in their home.

"What is that, a new Poltergeist?" asked Mario.

"Ayup. It comes with a handy plunger ability... you know, because we were plumbers." Luigi replied.

"Hey, we still are. Unclogging mistakes and all that is still our job." Mario said.

"If you say so..." Luigi said, glancing at their medical doctorates on the wall. Polterpup was eating from his bowl. There was a tennis thing today, but Mario felt like it would have been too awkward to see Peach at this point. "Say, weren't you invited to tennis today? Don't see why you've been lounging around the house for about a week..."

"Ehh... something between me and Peach is weird now. I dunno, she seem frustrated at the both of us." replied Mario.

"I wasn't there. I was doing the balloon world thing, remember?" Luigi replied.

"I know you weren't. I mean Bowser. Did I not tell you that story?" asked Mario.

"Oh... see, I thought you were talking to me because you said 'the both of us', and that usually refers to us, the Mario Bros... I see now." Luigi replied.

"Are things awkward between you and Daisy?" asked Mario.

"I don't have to do the same things you do, you know," Luigi replied. "We haven't been like that... for like a long time."

"Huh." replied Mario quietly.

"Just talk to her, like a healthy individual. Don't know why the whole moon thing got you all worked up..." Luigi rolled his eyes as he continued his work. "She clearly just wants to be friends, I don't really think it's that different from what it was before."

"I mean, I get what you're saying, but she just seemed really annoyed by the whole thing. I get where she's coming from too but... I dunno, I feel like it's better to give her some space." Mario replied.

"You gotta talk to her at some point. A week is enough time..." replied Luigi. His Dual Scream went off on the couch, with Luigi picking it up. "Yello? OH! Ohhh..." Luigi replied. "Be right there..." Luigi said timidly, quickly running up stairs.

"What was that about?" asked Mario.

"Peach wants me over there at the tennis court!" Luigi replied.

"Oh... okay..." Mario replied. Polterpup wagged it's tail as it walked towards Mario. "Hey boy..." he pet the spectral dog on the head.

Luigi left the house with his tennis outfit and racket in hand. "See you around, Mario!" he waved. Mario waved off his brother as Polterpup went off to do what it usually did as a curious dog, which was explore the house to see if there was anything new. Polterpup likely expected this due to the Odyssey being parked in the garage, as Mario always found him poking around in there- never doing any damage to his souvenirs in there but still Mario didn't really want him in there.

Just then, he heard a knock on the door. Who would be visiting at this hour? It wasn't Luigi, he always kept the door unlocked. Mario got up, turning the knob slowly. Wait, was this Peach? It looked like Peach, except in a black sleeveless dress and red hair... and a bunch of spiked bracelets. What?

"Peach?" asked Mario.

"Not really." replied the strange looking Peach. She scratched her hair. Mario could suddenly see that she had a ponytail and a crown that looked different to Peach's, but familiar in a sense that he had seen it briefly before. "Let's see if you remember me from this..." she continued, before suddenly letting out a low roar. " **RAWWWRRRRR**!"

"Bowser?" Mario said, surprised.

"Well, I guess my name isn't exactly Bowser anymore. Not really sure... what my name would be actually. Anyway, you wanna just talk? I got a lot to talk about." Bowser replied. Mario seemed hesitant but then he just shrugged.

"Sure." Mario replied.

-O-X-O-X-O-

"It actually started a while ago for me... this kind of thought that I could be this, I guess," muttered Bowser, gesturing down to her black dress. "I mean, I saw Toadette use this a while back. Thought it was interesting... it's called a Super Crown. They're about as rare as Super Acorns? Kind of come with those same abilities too." Bowser said, rolling her head back.

"So... you're just Peach now?" asked Mario.

"I mean, not exactly... I seriously don't have a name for it." Bowser scratched behind her ear.

"But more or less Peach, right?" Mario asked.

"I guess, if you wanna see it that way," Bowser answered. Bowser tapped at her Super Crown. "It's... uh, a modified version of a Super Crown the Koopa Troop gathered."

"Isn't it kind of weird to them?" asked Mario.

"Oh... nobody knows yet besides Kamek, given he engineered it and all." Bowser responded.

"I guess now me too, huh?" replied Mario. He looked at the cerulean blue sky. "Mama mia, it's a beautiful day outside."

"It is, yeah..." Bowser replied. "Still trying to come up with a good name... Powser? That's dumb. Peachowser? That's... dumb."

"Beach?" suggested Mario. Bowser shook her head.

"Nah... Bowseach? No, that's ugly." Bowser replied.

"Bowletta?" replied Mario. Bowser seemed visibly disgusted with that name.

"Come on, don't you remember that was the name Cackletta gave me when she totally took over my old rocking bod?" Bowser laughed.

"I mean, Princess Bowser isn't too bad..." Mario shrugged. Bowser shrugged back.

"Not really in love with that name, but maybe it'll do for now? Princess Koopa... I dunno! Kind of exciting, in a way. I guess Peach didn't have this all figured out either..." Bowser sheepishly commented.

Mario hadn't even really realized it, but they were walking through the tennis court. It didn't take long for them to start to pass by Luigi and Peach. Peach dropped the tennis ball in her hand, not even sure how to react. Luigi was more so confused.

"Is there two of you now, Princess?" asked Luigi earnestly.

"I dunno _who_ this is..." Peach answered back. She set her racket down. She had to calm her nerves, like her training as a princess had taught her. "...Mario, who is this?"

"Hello Peach! I'm Princess Koopa! You might have remembered me as Bowser!" Princess Bowser replied, sneering as she could tell this was getting under Princess Peach's skin. Princess Peach remained as cool as she could.

"I see you have a Super Crown on, and I regret to inform you that those are for use for Toadettes only..." Peach formally stated.

"Are you mad that I'm pulling off your look better than you?" asked Princess Bowser.

"N... No, that's not what this about." Peach replied. She looked like she was very close to bursting out in anger, but that wouldn't be very princess of her, now would it?

"Oh right, I'm stealing Mario from you, is that it?" Princess Bowser replied as she put a arm around Mario's shoulder. "You played around with him long enough, sister... and me too."

"Oh what, terrorizing my kingdom constantly wasn't enough for you? It's bad enough you come to these tennis and kart things anyway, you gotta invade this aspect of our lives too, pretending to be this..." Peach snapped slowly.

"Pretending to be this? I intend to be _this_ , for the rest of my life." Princess Bowser jutted out her tongue. Mario was taken aback by all of this, really, but he was pretty okay with all of it.

"Like netherworld you will." grunted Peach. She looked ready to swing her racket at Princess Bowser. Princess Bowser sneered.

"Hey... uh, is the tennis game still going on?" asked Luigi. Peach threw him the ball and walked over to Princess Bowser and Mario.

"I don't know what this is actually about, but it's not cute. You give me that Super Crown right now or I will take it _by force_." Peach thundered.

"It's not about _anything_ except finding my identity in this." replied Princess Bowser. Princess Peach immediately tried to bat the crown off her but Mario grabbed her arm.

"What the... Mario!" she hissed. She pulled her hand back, with Mario letting go.

"She doesn't mean any harm by this, seriously." Mario stated.

"Mario, you're... Mario, you seriously don't think... Bowser dragged you here, I highly doubt you were aware of it, but..." Peach tried to phrase her feelings the best she could, very very clearly struggling to do so. "Bowser is trying to start something, as he always does..."

"It's she." Princess Bowser replied.

"Right, how could I forget the 8-foot reptile hiding under the crown?" Peach roared back. "Huh, I can't because you've been terrorizing me and my kingdom for _so long_ and seriously just expecting me to believe you're turning a new leaf just a week after you tried to forcibly _marry me_?"

"I seriously don't carry malicious intent with this, Princess." Princess Bowser replied. Peach took a long sigh.

"I feel like you two forgot I'm a person too on that lunar surface. That's why I got frustrated at you, Mario. I'm not... ready for that kind of thing. I felt like that was a extension of that and... well, whatever. If this is what you wanna do, fine. Just... reconsider your approach, both of you." Peach put two fingers to her head, rubbing it.

"Sorry this stresses you out so much." Princess Bowser replied.

"It's fine, okay? You do whatever you want... you honestly look distinct enough given all the alterations, so long as it's not kidnapping me again." Peach replied.

"I think I can do that." Princess Bowser replied.

"I'm sorry about the moon thing," Mario replied. "You're right, I didn't consider what you were feeling."

"I'm glad we got this sorted out. Princess Koopa, if you want, you could join our weekly Princess meetings... if you want." replied Peach.

"That'd... be nice," Princess Bowser replied. "I kind of flip flop between Princess Bowser and Princess Koopa, maybe I could come up with a better name at the meeting with your help."

"Sure. The change is still... weird for me, but if this is who you want to be, who am I to judge?" Peach replied.

The three exchanged hands and shook on their new friendship.

-O-X-O-X-O-

Princess Bowser and Mario sat at the bench in Mushroom Circuit.

"So you're really sticking like this, huh?" asked Mario.

"I'm not one to play tricks, Mario," Princess Bowser replied. "I'm being serious as I can about it. When I can get this permanent, it'll be permanent," She touched his shoulder. "Thank you for grabbing Peach's hand back there... I can't imagine how humiliating it would have been to go back to that form..."

"I mean, it was no issue..." replied Mario. Princess Bowser leaned closer in. "Huh."

"Heh," Princess Bowser smirked before kissing his lips. She rubbed the cheek of his face before backing away with both hands. "Whoops!" she laughed. Mario laughed too. Awkwardly they just sat there. "Just messing around."

"Yeah, yeah. Got you." Mario replied.

The two sat in awkward silence before Mario's hands reached for her back and pulled her in for a more intense kiss. Princess Bowser got on his lap as the bus drove by, their hands wild across each other.

-O-X-O-X-O-

Mario returned late that night. Polterpup pouted at his return. "Ey, where's Luigi?" he asked, rubbing the dog's head.

"Right over here," replied Luigi, coming out from the bathroom. "See, I told you talking to Peach would make things healthier."

"I guess so..." replied Mario. He scratched his head. He had no idea where any of his life was heading towards ''now''. He knew the bus passed by them when he was making out with Princess Bowser earlier. Who saw? Did it even matter?

"Yeah, see? That's what we plumbers do, we unclog problems." Luigi replied, winking.

"Wait, Princess Peach didn't call you up as her tennis partner, did she?" asked Mario.

"She sure didn't!" Luigi replied.

"Huh... I suppose you really do know how to be a plumber." Mario said, patting his brother on the back.

"Thanks, bro." Luigi replied back.

Mario smiled ever so slightly, even though he had his own problem to unclog now... one step at a time, he supposed.

 **The End**


End file.
